The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-08-19
PRESERVING BUTTER.
Tho Old-Fashioned and Best Way OF
Keeping 1t for Winter.

Tho O1d-Fashioned and Best Way of
Keeping 1t for Winter.
Some years ago, before creameries
were invented, June-packed butter was
the choicest of the winter stock. Dairy
men packed all their summer make.
stored it in spring houses, or dry, cool
cellars, and sold the whole out in Oc-
tober and November to the dealers,
who went around to find and purchase
it, and farmer who knew how to
make and to pack good butter was al
ways sure of an acceptable visit from
a buyer. There is large scope for
the same sort of business now, in spite
of the creameries, for good butter
makers, and some with excellent pure
bred Jersey cows are selling butter in
the West for ten and twelve cents per
pound. The method with these old
dairymen, who are not surpassed by
any younger ones, was as follows:
The butter was well made and of
fine quality, and perfectly free from
buttermilk; this is Indispensable to the
perfect keeping of butter in any pack
age, The packages were (and should
be now) the white-oak pals, new and
fresh and well made. These held fifty
pounds each. A pail I used some
years ago was not painted, but
oiled and vanished outside, and the
cover fitted very closely, and was
keyed down with galvanized iron
clasps. The pail was thoroughly soaked
with cold water over night, and in the
morning when the butter was ready
for packing, the pail was well scalded
and then rinsed with salt and water.
1t was then rinsed with fresh cold
water, and the butter was firmly
packed down with the ladle, especially
around the edge, with care to leave
no vacancies, and to get out all the
water. AS much butter was packed at
once as to make about four or five
inches in the pail; this was pressed
smooth and sprinkled lightly with the
finest dairy salt Then another layer
was added, pressed down and sailed,
and so on until the pail was
full to within one-fourth of an inch
of the brim. This required precisely
fifty pounds of solid packed butter, free
from excess of water. The top of the
butter pressed, not rubbed, smooth and
level, was covered with piece of
washed new LINEN, dipped in brine,
large enough to spread an inch all over
the edge of the pail. This was spread
and pressed down on the butter and
covered with dry salt level with the
edge OF the pail The edge of the cloth
was turned back over the salt and
pressed firmly around the sides of the
pail, and covered with piece of cloth
cut to fit the top of the pail. The COW
er was then put on and pressed down
with small lever to pack the salt tight,
and fastened and keyed down. The
pail was Immediately carried TO the
cellar-a clean, dry, airy one-and set
upon Q bench two feet from the floor,
and never on the floor. Butter SO
packed would come out in the winter
ripe and full favored, and with that
sweet nutty taste and sweet odor which
only ripe butter has. have kept but
ter so packed from June until the early
spring following, and have sold it then
at four times as much as the prices cur
rent when it was packed; and this can
be done again, for the butter so packed
will keep much better in the grocery
store after it is opened than the best
new-made creamery WILL and is conse-
quently sought for by dealers in fine
groceries. Country Gentleman.